Six freshmen and a transfer student have filled the ASU women’s volleyball team with new names.
Those aren’t the only changes to the roster. The junior outside hitter formerly known as Kizzy Willey got married over summer, effectively changing her last name to Ricedorff.
She and her husband, Rathen Ricedorff, agreed to do a video interview with The State Press.
They talked about how they met; actually, Kizzy began with speaking about how Rathen’s uncle saw her play volleyball.
As Rathen said in the video, he didn’t put a second thought into what his uncle said. However, the two crossed paths during a tour of ASU.
How Kizzy and Rathen met from The State Press on Vimeo.
Rathen does not attend ASU; he transferred to Mesa Community College and is currently the starting quarterback. In addition, he comes from a family that plays volleyball consistently and goes on vacations to do the same.
It’s a nice match for the ASU athlete.
The first time they hung out, in fact, Rathen asked her to join his family in a sand volleyball match.
Their first date was two weeks later.
First date from The State Press on Vimeo.
As for the proposal, Rathen’s sisters helped him plan a scavenger hunt that ended at the top of Mesa Riverview.
The wedding was in Utah. Kizzy rented a car with her two bridesmaids and drove north.
She and her bridesmaids had been through a lot together. They had been roommates at ASU for two years, and played together on the volleyball for the same time period.
Seniors outside hitter Macey Gardner and middle blocker Whitney Follette joined her on her journey.
Gardner said that due to religious reasons, she and Follette weren’t allowed in the temple for the ceremony. However, afterward, they saw the newlywed couple come out of the temple.
“They had this whole kiss planned out, we’re all watching and clapping,” Gardner said. “She was beautiful, Kizzy’s beautiful as always, and Rathen obviously seemed happy.”
Follette said Kizzy and Rathen are a good match.
“They caught each other perfectly,” Follette said. “(They’re) great for each other. He’s like a brother to us now.”
Newlywed Game from The State Press on Vimeo.
The wedding is over, school has begun, and their schedules are different. Rathen attends school at Mesa Community College and is the starting quarterback of its football team.
They were put to the test in the video interview: despite the busy lives, how much do they know about each other?
The two played the Newlywed game. The full video is above. Some highlights are below:
Rathen Rex
Without thinking, Kizzy knew that her husband would be a T-Rex if he had the choice.
“He thinks he’s this huge, dominant… powerful guy,” she said.
Super Kizzy
Rathen followed his wife’s lead by getting this question right pretty quickly too. Kizzy’s drawing on the whiteboard was only matched by their eye contact and laughter at "The Incredibles" reference, along with the repeat of the line.
8-year-old Dream
After Kizzy denied claims that she wanted to be a Disney princess when she was 8 years old with name-calling, Rathen got her to admit that she is one now.
Also, her reaction when he guesses which one she is is priceless.
“I would say a Disney princess,” Rathen said.
“Dirtbag!” Kizzy responded.
Karaoke song of choice
What was their wedding song? Kizzy divulges that in the final question of the video.
Also, in case you were wondering, Rathen once dated a brunette who he says bears a striking resemblance to a former ASU volleyball player. Kizzy once dated a person who looks similar to someone Rathen described as a 6-foot 4-inch, 400-pound Hawaiian teammate at MCC.
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow @Logan_Newsman on Twitter.
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